The Republic of Austria: A State Without a Nation

Abstract:

The Republic of Austria was created after the collapse of the Habsburg Empire in 1918. Although the state of Austria has a long and intricate history, an Austrian nation did not develop for many reasons. The very history of the Empire prevented a sense of nation to develop through increasing provincial identity, strong, long-lasting pan-German identity, and strong national identities in other ethnic groups in the Habsburg Empire. The First Austrian Republic was founded based on the ‘leftovers’ of the Empire and without a common national identity of its inhabitants--indeed, pan-German identity was dominant leading to the 1938 Anschluss. After World War II, pan-Germanism was no longer acceptable, and the State ‘muddled through’ the next few decades without having a national identity. Joining the European Union allowed the Austrian State to become a part of something larger, and gain a unifying identity as ‘European.’ The rise of far right political parties, especially the FPÖ, in response to increased immigration and the European issues shows the beginnings of an Austrian national sentiment. National identity did not have a role in the formation of the state nor did it become a possibility until long after the state formation.